Intermittent transmitter for carrier-despatch systems.



M. L. EMERSON.

INTERMITTENT TRANSMITTER FOR CARRIER DESPATCH SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1913 1,181,584. Patented May L, 1%.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERTON I. EMERSON, 0F BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed August 18, 1913. Serial No. 785,197.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERTON L. EMERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Intermittent Transmitters for Carrier-Despatch Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to despatch systems in general and more particularly to pneumatie despatch apparatus, and has for one of its objects the provision of improved means for transmitting a plurality of carriers from a despatching terminal or station in definite, spaced relationship to each other.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved despatching terminal or transmitter which shall be positive and automatic in operation and simple in construction.

I further aim to provide a gravity or other type of transmitter for elongated carriers in which the parts thereof are so arranged that carriers will pass into it or out of it at constant predetermined intervals.

These and others objects will' be hereinafter referred to and the novel elements and combinations of elements whereby they may be attained will be more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part thereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts in the respective views, I have exemplified a preferred construction; but I am aware that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence desire to be limited onlyby the scope of said claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a transmitting terminal, in the present instance of the gravity type; the terminal having connected thereto mechanism for intermittently effecting operation Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a valve which constitutes one of the elements of the said mechanism.

In the preferred construction illustrated the transmitter and associated parts are so connected that pressure is normally maintamed between an inner and an outer gate; WhlCh pressure is periodically spilled to allow said gates to operate.

Referring now, to Fig. 1, a transmission tube 1 is therein shown as provided with the usual pressure-fluid supply ipe 2; compressed air normally passing rom pipe 2 into pipe 1 through the a ertures 3 in the connection 4 between sai pipes, as indicated by the adjacent arrow.

The terminal proper, broadly designated 5, is adapted to direct preferably elongated carriers (such as are used for the transmission of mail matter or the like), one of which designated 6 and indicated in dotted lines, is shown in osition upon the receiving shelf 7 of sai terminal, into the connection 4 for transmission through tube 1. A gate or valve 8, preferably. pivotally connected at 9 to an arm 10 which in turn is pivotally mounted at 11 within the upper portion of the terminal, normally closes the aperture leading into said terminal, through which the carrier passes from the shelf 7.

The arm 10 is weighted as at 12 so that it together with the gate 8 normally occupy the positions in which these parts are shown in full lines in the figure. If, however, a carrier be in place upon the shelf and the pressure upon opposite sides of the gate 8 be substantially equal, the weight of the carrier will normally be sufficient to open said gate;'the carrier thereafter dropping into a chamber 13 in the transmitter by gravity and coming to rest against a second or inner gate 14 which may be identical in construction with the gate 8 just described. For convenience the pivoted arm of this second gate has been designated 10 and the pivotal axis thereof 11'.

Bowl-shaped casings or caps 15 and 15' respectively cover the apertures in the upper and lower extremities of the terminal 5 into which the gates 8 and 14 may be driven by the descending carrier; said caps providing recesses for the reception of the respective gate supporting and closing parts.

by-pass or conduit 16 is provided around the gate 14 and has therein a valve 17 or other suitable means for limiting the flow of air therethrough to a determined amount; or in other words, in effect, valve 17 affords a means for timing said flow of air and thereby the period required for the equalization of pressure in chamber 13 and connection 4, as hereinafter referred to.

In the wall of the chamber 13 is a port 18 which leads into a small chamber19 within which rides a spill valve 20. lVhen this spill valve is in its lower position, as shown in Fig. 1, communication between the port 18 and a port 21 in the wall of chamber 19 which opens to the outer air, is cut off by said valve; and the latter is normally held in this position through the instrumentality of a spring 22 mounted upon the stem 23 of said valve. A small port or aperture 21 in the upper portion of the casing 25, within which is the chamber 19, maintains the upper end of said chamber at all times in communication with the atmosphere.

Connected to the lower end of the valve casing 25 of valve 20 is a small pipe 26 which leads to a valve the casing of which has been designated 27. The construction of this valve and its casing is shown in Fig. 2; the valve proper, 28, being of the plunger type and not dissimilar to the valve 20, previously referred to.

In the present instance the valve 28 is normally maintained in its upper position by a coil spring 29; the upper extremity of which is received in a recess in the valve while the lower extremity of said spring is seated in a corresponding recess in the cap 30 which closes the lower end of the casing 27.

The cap 30 is perforated as at 31 so that the space below valve 28 is at all times in communication with the outer air; and a port 32 near the upper end of the valve eas ing 27 permits the outer air to freely enter the pipe 26 when valve 28 occupies its upper or normal position; said valve being annularly recessed to provide the necessary communication between port and said pipe. The lower head of valve 28 normally closes a port 33 in the side of valve casing 27 and thereby prevents ingress of pressure fluid, e. g. compressed air, from a pipe 34 which for present purposes may be regarded as the source of said fluid.

A stem 35 projects upwardly through the top of casing 27 from the valve 28 and carries a friction roller 36 which is adapted for engagement with the peripheral surface of a cam- 37. This cam is rotarily mounted upon a shaft 38 which also carries a wheel 39, or its equivalent, by means of which said shaft may be driven.

As somewhat diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 1, the wheel 39 is driven by a worm 40 which meshes therewith and which worm in turn may be driven by an electric motor41.

The operation of the transmitting mechanism is as follows: The motor 11 is preferably continuously driven and thereby the cam 37 is driven in the direction of the arrow indicated thereupon. This causes a periodic or re-current depression of the valve 28; the latter, of course, rising to its normal position as soon as the shoulder 42 of the cam 37 passes the roller 36; spring 29 constantly pressing said roller toward the cam surface. When valve 28 is thus depressed the first portion of its downward movement covers the port 32 in casing 27 and thereafter the port 33 is uncovered; permitting a How of pressure fluid from pipe 34 into pipe 26 whereby to raise valve 20 against the action of its spring This movement of the latter valve opens chamber 13 to the atmosphere and pressure upon opposite sides of the gate 8 is thereupon equalized. If new the carrier (3 be in position upon the shelf 7 and resting against the gate 8, the weight of the carrier will overcome the counter weight 12 and gate 8 will be swung into the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l; the carrier descending until it rests against gate 14. It may be here noted that the chamber 13 is of sul'licient length as compared to the length of the carrier to permit gate 18 to be closed by its weight 12 shortly before the carrier has come to rest against the second or inner gate. In the meantime the rotation of cam 37 has allowed valve to ie sume the position into which it tends to move, whereupon communication between pipes 34- and 26 is again cut oil and the latter pipe is opened to the atmosphere through port 32. Spring 23 thereupon mpves valve 20 to its lower position. closing communication between the chamber 13 and the atmosphere, and pressure fluid from the pipe 2 then finds its way more or less slowly through the by-pass 16 until pressure in the chamber 13 equals that within the connection 4, whereupon gate 1 1 is opened by the weight of the carrier reposing thereagainst and permits said carrier to drop downwardly into the transmission tube 1; gate 1% closing immediately thereafter under the action of its counterweight 12.

Assuming now that a second carrier (3 has meanwhile been placed upon the shelf 7 at the end of a measured interval following the closure of gate 8; it will be evident that a pre-determined time must thereafter elapse before this carrier can enter chamber 13: this time depending upon the speed of rota tion of ram 37 which determines the spacing of the time periods during which gate 8 may be opened.

The valve 17 permits of so regulating the Hill ill?) [Ill flow of air from the pipe 2 into chamber 13 as to insure the proper closure of gate 14 before the reestablishment of communication between chamber 13 and the outer air; but the conduit or passage-way through which the air under pressure is exhausted from chamber 13 is preferably materially larger than the passage afforded past the valve 17 in the by-pass 16, whereby the pressure fluid in said chamber may be promptly and effectively spilled.

It will thus be seen that by reason of the above described simple construction carriers may be successively despatched from the transmitter with the assurance of a proper and pie-determined spacing therebetween; the desired result being attained positively and the mechanism being such that the likelihood of derangement thereof is reduced substantially to a minimum.

\Vhile the transmitter shown is of the gravity type it is obvious, of course, that the principles of the herein described invention may be applied to other types of transmitters. For this reason I have in certain of the appended claims referred to the transmission tube as a means for guiding carriers from the transmitter in a determined direction.

In conclusion I particularly direct attention to the automatic establishment, by means of the cyclically acting mechanism employed, of definitely appointed or predetermined recurrent earrier-despatching periods, during which and at no other time, normally, can elongated carriers be inserted into and despatehed from a chamber in the t"ansn'1itter, said carriers being so guided during their movement into and out of this chamber and in fact in substantially all positions thereof as at all times to definitely locate their longitudinal axes predeterminedly with respect to the transmission tube. In other words these carriers are not permitted to tumble around with their axes haphazardly located, but no matter how moved with respect to the tube during their progress thereinto, each successive carrier as it reaches any given point in its path of travel has its major axis located in the same line that the axis of the preceding carrier occupied when this latter carrier arrived at said point, and the carriers are so held during their passage into the tube asto prevent inadvertent rotational movement of their major axes about their respective centers of gravity.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising a carrier despatch tube. an elongated headed carrier for articles to be transmitted. a transmitter having provisions for supporting said carrier in position for despatch therethrough, said provisions including a movable element for engaging a head of said carrier and adapted to normally oppose the advance of said carrier, mechanism for permitting said carrier to advance past said element only at pre-determined and automatically recurrent intervals of time, means for automaticallyestablishing a se quence of such intervals and means for establishing a carrier propelling current of air through said tube.

2. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising an elongated carrier, a substantially stationary transmitter, means for guiding the advance of a carrier from said transmitter in a determined direction, said transmitter having provisions for supporting said carrier end foremost preparatory to the despatch thereof along said guiding means, continuously driven cyclically acting mechanism for effecting the despatch of said carrier during a pre-determined and limited period of time, and a source of power for continuously driving said cyclically acting mechanism.

3. A pneumatic despatch system comprising a despatch tube, an elongated carrier, a transmitter having provisions for stationarily supporting said carrier successively in two positions and having also means to prevent inadvertent rotation of the major axis of said carrier about the center of gravity of the latter during the movement of said carrier from the first to the second of said positions, cyclically-acting mechanism for controlling the displacement of said carrier from one of said positions, and auxiliary means for controlling, the displacement of said carrier from the other of said positions, said auxiliary means co-acting with said cyclically-acting mechanism in the despatch of said carrier and the periodicity thereof being definitely related to that of the cyclically-acting mechanism.

4. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising a despatch tube, a transmitter in alinement with said tube, said transmitter having means for supporting a plurality of carriers to be successively despatched, coacting means for despatching said carriers through said tube, in spaced relationship, each upon the arrival of a determined instant of time, and means independent of said carriers, for automatically predeterminating the times when said carriers may be thus despatched.

5. A pneumatic carried despatch system comprising a despatch tube, a transmitter in alinement with said tube, having means for supporting a plurality of carriers to be successively despatchcd and co-acting means for dcspatching said carriers through said tube in spaced relationship, each u on the arrival of a predetermined instant 0 time, said instant of time in each case being independent of the emplacement of any preceding carrier in the transmitter.

6. A neumatic carried despatch system comprising a transmitter, means for guiding the advance of an elongated carrier from said transmitter in a determined direction, said transmitter having means for supporting in axial alinement a plurality of elongated carriers to be successively despatched, and co-acting means for despatching said carriers in spaced relationship each upon the arrival of a predetermined instant of time, said instant of time in each case being independent of the emplacement of any carrier in the transmitter, said coacting means having provisions for automatically ei'l'ecting a recurrence of the carrier-despatching period at definitely spaced intervals.

7. A pneumatic carrier dcspatch system comprising a despatch tube, an elongated carrier, a transmitter to positively guide said carrier endwise into said tube and having means for separately and independently supporting a plurality of carriers to be successively despatched, each with its major axis pre-determinedly disposed with respect to said tube and in substantial alinement end to end with the one of said plurality of carriers most nearly adjacent thereto, coacting means for despatching said carriers in spaced relationship, each upon the arrival of a predetermined instant of time, and means for automatically establishing a sequence of such predetermined instants of time independently of said carriers.

8. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising a despatch tube, elongated carriers to travel through said tube. a transmitter to guide the advance of each of said carriers thcrethrough and to hold the major axis of each carrier against inadvertent rotation about the center of gravity of said carrier during the advance of the latter through said transmitter into said tube, and power-driven mechanism to co-act with said transmitter to effect an intermittent step-bystep movement of each carrier through said transmitter toward said tube at cyclically recurrent and pie-determined intervals of time.

9. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising a tube for the despatch of elongated carriers, a transmitter having means to guide the advance of a carrier endwise toward said tube, mechanism adapted to coact with said transmitter, to effect an intermittent step-by-step movement of carriers through the latter at cyclically recurrent and predetermined intervals of time, and means for continuously driving said mechanism.

10. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising a tube for the despatch of elongated carriers, a transmitter having means to guide the advance of each carrier endwise toward said tube, mechanism to co-act with said transmitter, to effect an intermittent step-by-step endwise movement of carriers through the latter at cyclically recurrent and pro-determined intervals of time, and means to automatically establish a sequence of said intervals greater than two in number.

11. In a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing carriers into said tube having a chamber and two gates one of which controls ingress of acarrier into and one of which controls egress of said carrier from, said chamber, one at least of said gates being normally closed and said chamber being in' direct communication with said tube when said normally closed gate is open, antomatically recurrently-acting mechanism for opening said normally closed gate to place said chamber in said direct communication with said tube to permit of the passage into said tube of a carrier to be despatched, co-acting means for controlling the other of said gates, and means to prevent inadvertent rotational movement of an axis of said carrier about the center of gravity of the latter so long said carrier is passing from said last mentioned gate into said tube.

12. In a pneumatic dcspatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing carriers into said tube having a chamber and twogates one of which controls ingress of a *arrier into said chamber and one of which controls egress of said carrier from said chamber, said chamber opening into the tube when the gate last aforesaid is open, both of said gates being normally closed. automatically recurrentlyacting mechanism for controlling one of said gates, co-acting means for controlling the other of said gates, and means to prevent inadvertent rotational movement of an axis of said carrier about the center of gravity of the latter during the passage of said carrier from the gate which controls its egress from said chamber, into said tube.

13. In a pneumatic despatch apparatus, an elongated carrier, a tube for the transmission of said carrier, a transmitter for introducing said carrier into said tube having a chamber and two gates one of which controls egress of the carrier into said chamber and one of which controls egress of said carrier from said chamber into said tube, said chamber opening into the latter when the gate last aforesaid is open, said gate be ing normally closed, automatically recurrently-acting mechanism for opening one of said gates to place said chamber in communication with said tube, co-acting timing means for controlling the other of said gates, and means to prevent inadvertent rotational movement of the major axis of said elongated carrier about the center of gravity of the latter during the passage of said carrier from the gate which controls its egress from said chamber, into said tube.

14. In a pneumatic dcspatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers,a transmitter .for introducing carriers into said tube having a chamber aml two gates one of which controls ingress of a carrier into, and one of which controls egress of said carrier from. said chamber. means for normally t-ipuili'l.in the pressuriin said tube and chamber. and automatically recurrentlv-actin;. means for varying: the pressure in said chamber from that in said tube at spaced intervals.

15. In a pneumatic ilcsputch apparatus, a tllllt for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing -arriers into said tube having: a chamber and a gate controllin; the ingress of a carrier into said chamber, said chamber being normally subjected to a determined pressure, automatically recurreutly-arting: means for periodically varying the pressure in said chamber from said determined pressure, and pressure controlled means for controlling the egress of a carrier from said chamber.

10. In a pneumatic dcspatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing carriers into said tube having a chamber and a gate controlling the ingress of a 'arrier into said chamber, said chamber being: normally subjected to a determined pressure, automatically rccurrently-acting means for periodically varying the pressure in said chamber from said determined pressure, and means for controlling the egress of a carrier from said chamber.

17. In a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing carriers into said tube harint a chamber and a gate con trolling the egress of a carrier from said chamber, said chamber being normally subjected to a determined pressure, automatically recu-rrcutly-acting means for periodically varying the pressure in said chamber from said dctcrinim-d pressure, and means controlled b) the pressure in said chamber for controlling the ingress of carriers into said chamber.

18. In :1 pneumatic duspatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a tr:|n'=u'|ittcr for intrmlurin; rarriurs into said tube ll:l\ inn :1 r'lmmbrr and a gate controlling the egress of a carrier from said chamber, said chamber Irvin; normally subjLt'lt' l to a dutcrminrd pvt-urn, automatirallv recurrentlv-arting nunin for periruli (rally a|' ving tlu-v pi-|- uriin said chamber from said tlCltl'llllll(' l prrssurig. a gate adapted to be opened to permit of the ingress of a carrier into said chamber, and means to close said last mentioned gate.

19. In a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing carriers into said tube having a. chamber and two normally closed gates which control ingress into and egress from said chamber, a conduit for supplying compressed air to said chamber, a valve for exhausting said compressed air from said chamber, and automatic means, for recurrently actuating said valve at definitely appointed times.

20. In a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing carriers into said tub having a chamber and two normally closed gates which control ingress into and egress from said chamber, a. conduit for supplying compressed air to said chamber, a valve for exhausting said compressed air from said chamber, and automatic means, including a cam, for recurrently actuating said valve at definitely ap pointed times.

21. In a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a transmitter for introducing carriers into said tube having a chamber and tvvo normally closed gates which control ingress into and egress from said chamber, a conduit for supplying compressed air to said chamher, a aid-pressure actuated valve for exhausting said compressed air from said chamber, and means for periodically varying the fluid pressure which actuates said valve.

.22. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising a despatch tube, an elongated carrier, a transmitter having provisions for supporting said carrier successively in two positions in each of which the longitudinal axis of said carrier is pre-determinedly located with respectto said tube, cyclicallyacting mechanism for controlling the displacement of said carrier endivise from one of said positions. and auxiliary means for controlling the displacement of said carrier cmlirise from the other of said positions, said auxiliary means co-acting with said cyclically acting mechanism in the despatch of said carrier and the periodicity thereof being, definitely related to that of the cyclically-:icting mechanism.

23. A pneumatic carrier despatch system comprising: a despatch tube, an elongated carrier. transmitter having means to stationarilv support said carrier successively in two po itions and to definitely and positiicly guide said carrier for cndwisc travel from the latter of these positions toward and to enter said carrier endwise into said tube, cyclically-acting mechanism for controlling the displacement of said carrier from one of said two positions, and auxiliary means for controlling the displacement of said carrier from the other of said positions, said auxiliary means co-acting with said cyclically-acting mechanism in the despatch ofsaid carrier and the periodicity thereof being definitely related to that of the cyclically-acting mechanism.

24. A pneumatic carrier'despatch system comprising a tube for the despatch of elongated carriers, a transmitter having means to guide the advance of each carrier endwise toward Said tube, mechanism to co-act with said transmitter, to effect an intermittent step-by-step endwise movement of carriers through the latter at cyclically recurrent and predetermined intervals of time, and means for continuously driving said mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in the resence of two witnesses.

M RTON L. EMERSON. Witnesses:

CHARLES O. LAUiuN, ETHEL M. JORDAN.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,181,584, granted May 2, 1916, upon the application of Merton L. Emerson, of Braintree, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Intermittent Transmitters for Carrier-Despatch Systems, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 118 claim 4, for the word predeterminating read predetermin'ing; same page, line 121, claim 5, and page 4, line 4, claim 6, for the word carried read carrier; same page, line 118, claim 13, for the word egress" read ingress; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of June, A. D., 1916.

[BELL-1 J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Palm. 

